Conventional various filter air cleaners have been provided in order to remove odor components, allergens and so on. However, the cleaners cannot remove odor components and allergens stuck to interior parts such as dashboard, seats, walls, curtains and so on in an enclosed space such as a vehicle cabin, an indoor space, etc.
Recently attention has been directed to electrostatic atomizers generating mist of charged fine water particles of nanometer-size through electrostatic atomization of water. The mist includes radical such as super oxide radical and hydroxy radical and has effects such as: deodorization effect; elimination (microless) and inhibitory effect of virus and mold; inactivation effect of allergens: and so on. Therefore, the atomizers can remove odor components stuck to said interior parts, and also can inactivate allergens (e.g., pollen) that have stuck to persons or clothes to be brought into said enclosed space.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-151046 issued Jun. 15, 2006 discloses blower apparatus (air conditioning apparatus) equipped with an electrostatic atomizer. This atomizer is located in an air duct of the apparatus. The atomizer has a discharge electrode and a counter electrode that are exposed to the air flowing in the air duct. High voltage is applied between the discharge electrode and the counter electrode, and the discharge electrode is periodically supplied with a very small quantity of water (dew drop). Thereby, mist of charged fine water particles is produced through electrostatic atomization, and is carried by the air flowing in the air duct into a vehicle cabin.
However, since a very small quantity of water supplied to the discharge electrode is exposed to the air flowing in the air duct, the water may be blown off by the air flow before the mist is produced by means of electrostatic atomization. Thereby, stable formation of Taylor cone by the water under high voltage is obstructed, so that mist of charged fine water particles cannot be sprayed into the vehicle cabin.
In blower apparatus for a vehicle or central heating system, it is therefore thought that an electrostatic atomizer is located outside an air duct of the apparatus and produces mist of charged fine water particles to supply the mist into the air duct. However, a flow of air in the air duct is created with a blower fan, and therefore the pressure of the air flowing in the air duct is higher than the pressure of the atmosphere. Accordingly, the atomizer located outside the air duct cannot supply the mist into the air duct.
It is therefore thought that the atomizer is further provided with a fan for supplying the mist into the air duct. However, since the fan which can be equipped with the atomizer is inferior to the blower fan in blowing power, the atomizer cannot still supply the mist into the air duct.
It is therefore thought that if a low pressure space exists in the air duct, the atomizer is located at the low pressure space. However, it imposes restrictions on arrangement flexibility of the atomizer. Moreover, when the operation of the blower fan is changed in order to adjust air flow amount of the blower fan, the pressure of the air flowing in the air duct is changed. Accordingly, the atomizer cannot supply the mist into the air duct in same condition. In addition, when the operation of the blower fan is adjusted to maximum, the pressure of the air flowing in the air duct is increased and accordingly it becomes hard to supply the mist into the air duct.